Binderhaven
by Elinor W
Summary: Daniel Potter is six years old and ready to start his first year at the prestigious Binderhaven School for young wizards...


Dan jumped up and down with excitement as he saw the tiny owl winging its way towards where he stood on the balcony of his home. "Uncle Ron sent a message daddy!" Dan yelled towards where his father who was relaxing in the house watching a Quidditch match on a pair of Omnoculars. Harry Potter leapt up at his son's cry and ran to the balcony to see a tiny owl flutter down to land on the porch railing. Harry grinned, he always looked forwards to messages from his best friend and so did his son Dan. Taking the owl in his hand Harry read the note attached.  
  
Dear Harry and Dan, We're glad to hear that Dan has been accepted to Binderhaven for his younger years, we were hoping that he would because Olivia will be attending also in preparation for coming to Hogwarts in four years. This is one of the three owls laid by our little Pigwidgeon and we've decided that Dan should have an owl for school. Ah yes, you know our Olivia of course, she's started insisting on being called Oliver because she so wishes that she was a boy. We look forwards to seeing you at platform three and ¾ very soon.  
  
Love from,  
  
Ron, Hermione, Bobby and Olly  
  
When Harry read the note out loud to Dan, the little boy grinned and shouted in delight, "Olly is coming to Binderhaven with me!" he looked at the little owl perched by his hand on the railing, "And I get my very own little owl." Harry smiled down at his little son and returned to where he had been sitting in the living room. He was glad that Ron and Hermione's child would be going with Dan to Binderhaven.  
  
Outside Dan was playing with his kinderwand, the kind of wand that children are allowed before they go to wizarding school. Dan thought for a few minutes before deciding on a simple spell that his father had taught him the day before, "Samplani!" he murmured and concentrated on his broomstick. Almost instantly there was a small pop and his broomstick popped out of thin air in front of him. It too was only a child's broom but Dan loved it, it was a Kiddy Nimbus and it was very well made. It was enchanted to feel like a soft seat and be invisible to muggles. Dan swung his leg onto it and pushed off the balcony. He whooshed through the air as fast as his little broom could carry him and then saw a large snowy owl rushing towards him. The owl, Hedwig, landed on Dan's broomstick and Dan carefully flew the broom back to the balcony. Leaving his broomstick behind Dan rushed into the living room to show his father Hedwig. Her claws were simply laden with messages as she had come from all around, going around to pick up all the messages for the Potters.  
  
First Dan unhooked a fat envelope from Binderhaven and handed it to his father. It was a list of all of Dan's needed supplies and a few permission slips for Harry to sign. It read like this:  
  
Dear Potters, We are glad to welcome Dan to our school, please make sure that Dan has the following items before coming to Binderhaven.  
  
Copies of:  
  
Young Spells Young Potions Young Charms Young Magical Beasts Young Transfiguration All of the books are from Professor Dumbledore's series, Magic for the Young.  
  
1 large cauldron 1 set of potion utensils 1 magical wand 1 broom (optional) 1 owl/cat/toad (optional) Also, we ask that the children are sent with fifty galleons or more, preferably more to cover different expenses throughout the year.  
  
Stacked behind the supplies list were three permission slips, the first was a boring health slip but the rest were far more interesting, the second was a permission slip for Hogsmeade visits, the third for many things including the permission for the students to acquire a pet (other than their owl) for their time at Binderhaven. Dan grinned when he saw it all and then pulled out the last thing in the envelope. It was a packet of information about Binderhaven which Dan sat down to read.  
  
Binderhaven is a small young wizards school that was quite recently begun by Mr. R J Lupin headmaster. Students begin school at seven years of age and progress through the years until graduating to go on to further their education at Hogwarts. Binderhaven has five main classes which every student takes, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Magical beasts, and the fifth, a wide variation of almost everything is simply called "Magic" every student is also given broomstick classes so as to be ready to go on in life. Binderhaven sits upon the grounds of Hogwarts school and its students quite often go up to the much larger school to do many things.  
  
Dan smiled to himself as he unfastened the other envelopes from Hedwig's leg. He tossed his father the ones that were for him and was left with a package and a few envelopes. The first letter was from his older brother Jake who was in his last year at Binderhaven.  
  
Dear Little Brother, You will love it here at Binder, but the potions teacher is really mean, his name's Professor Malfoy but we all call him Professor Ferret because of that one story dad used to tell. You know, the one where he was the amazing bouncing ferret? You know what's really funny though, he's just like Professor Snape the guy that dad had. Snape's still up at Hogwarts you know and Malfoy, ever since his dad got sent to Azkaban he has been like a son to the guy. I suppose that might be why he hates me so watch out, he'll be really mean, just be as good as you can be in his classes. The other teachers are pretty good, but I'm not allowed to tell you anything about the school itself or how it's run, it's supposed to be a surprise.  
  
Jake  
  
Dan grinned, he loved hearing from his brother. Jake was already eleven but had been ten when the schoolyear started so he hadn't been able to go to Hogwarts. Dan was unsure how Binderhaven was run, in fact all the kids who came were unsure but they soon found out.  
  
Dan reached for the second envelope and ripped it open to reveal another letter this one nice and fat from Professor Dumbledore.  
  
Dear Danny, I'm glad that you will be going to Binderhaven next year, I have a few things of your fathers that he wants you to have when you start school. I'm also sending along some books that you might be interested in when you start school.  
  
Dumbledore  
  
Dan eagerly looked behind the note and saw three enlarge-a-books, he enlarged them and looked carefully at them, the first one, Young Quidditch was from the same series that Professor Dumbledore had written that were Dan's school books. The second book was Binderhaven a History, and the third was titled, School Spells.  
  
Dan looked at the books and grinned, Professor Dumbledore was like a second father to him and he couldn't wait until he could go to Hogwarts. He wondered to himself what the things of his fathers were before grabbing the package and ripping it open. It had no card and he stared at it surprised, it was just what he had always wanted, it was a books of tricks and spells that were tricks along with the most famous trick kit of all: Weasley's Wizardly Wheezes. Dan grinned happily, wondering where it could have come from. But he didn't wonder long before deciding that it wasn't worth it, he grabbed the kit and ran into the living room to find his dad. He pulled a trick wand out of the kit and put it on the floor and then called his dad, "Daddy! Is this your wand?" Harry came into the room and picked up the wand to find that it was a rubber ducky. Meanwhile Dan grabbed Harry's wand from his pocket.  
  
Harry shook his head at his son, attempting to hide his amusement. All of his children had loved tricks, but Dan bordered on obsessed. Harry had five sons and two daughters all of them at Hogwarts except for Jake who was in his last year at Binderhaven and Dan who was just starting in at Binderhaven. The current Headmaster of Hogwarts was none other than the grandson of Albus Dumbledore. He was the third Dumbledore to have been headmaster of Hogwarts. Bastian Dumbledore also had a son about Dan's age named Franz.  
  
Dan was still absorbed with his tricks kit. His uncles Fred and George owned Weasley's Wizardly Wheezes and now Percy Weasley's son Pomp was had joined the company, much to the chagrin of his father. But Fred and George usually sent personalized tricks to Dan for his birthday, never one of their big kits. Dan grinned he couldn't wait to try out his new jokes.  
  
~  
  
Dan watched the train platform slowly disappear behind him and he sniffed a little, he hadn't been away from his parents for so long. He knew he might see them often enough, their work as Aurors often took them to Hogwarts, but it still seemed like it would be a long time. His parents hadn't wanted to send their children to Binderhaven originally, but their work seemed to keep them away from home more and more these days.  
  
The compartment door burst open and Olly hopped into the compartment already dressed in her robes with her wand out. She smiled excitedly at Dan who grinned back at his cousin. Olly sat down and cocked her head to the side saying, "Hey Dan the lady up front told me there was a package for you, I told her our compartment number and she said she'd send a boy with it."  
  
Dan shrugged, "I didn't know anything about a package.I wonder who sent it." Olly grinned mischieviously, "Hey Dan, have you still got that Wheezes?" Dan nodded and pulled it from his trunk. "You know that I'd never lose it. Look, want a Chocolate Frog?" Dan asked innocently and handed her one out of the bag that he had purchased from the lady with the candy. Olly took it and swallowed it a gulp only to turn into a frog.  
  
Dan grinned at the frog and then whispered so that he wouldn't hurt its ears, "I've been working on that one for a while. Wheezes has a book of joke charms and stuff. They got this one from Aunt Hermione." He pulled a jar out of his robes and dumped the frog in it then grinned at her through the glass, "You won't transform until I open the jar and let you out.  
  
The frog that was Olly yelled in croaky tones, "Hey, Dan! You let me out right now!" Dan grinned and dumped the frog onto the floor of the compartment and seconds later Olly stood in front of him scowling, "Meanie!" Dan just grinned and pocketed the Wheezes.  
  
Suddenly the compartment door opened and two boys stood at the door. One of the two was dressed in green velvet robes with an owl on his shoulder, the other held a package and looked at Dan with his wide eyes, "Are you Dan Potter?" Dan nodded and the boy handed the package to him and disappeared from the compartment. Dan shrugged and looked at the other newcomer to the compartment, "Hey Franz, who was that?"  
  
Franz Dumbledore shrugged, "I don't know. He asked me if I knew where you were and I showed him. I like your robes Olly."  
  
Olly grinned and stroked her olive green robes, "Dad said that my robes matched my name. I like 'em too, especially because they came equipped with this!" she opened the flap of her robes to show off a secret pocket that had a voice lock and a password.  
  
Dan looked down at his own robes. They were a dark blue and had his name embroidered in gold thread. He liked his robes and they were outfitted with all sorts of cool things. A temperature control, a wand pocket, a secret pocket, a pocket that came equipped with a small rock that when rubbed against any inanimate object would turn them small, a pocket that was enchanted to fit anything.Dan grinned and patted his robes.  
  
"Franz, would you hand me that package?" Franz nodded and tossed it across the compartment to Dan who caught it and used a quick spell to open it up. Inside was a perfectly shaped gold owl bell that could be used to immediately bring an owl to your side from anywhere in the world, Dan was confused, there was no note and he still had no idea who had sent him the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, this added more depth to the puzzle. He was puzzled but his thoughts came to an end when the train came to an abrupt halt and a magically magnified voice informed them that they had arrived at their destination. As the train stopped Dan, Franz and Olly caught their first glimpse of Binderhaven, a beautiful building that shone in the light and was pure white, of the purest and most shimmering strands of white gold.  
  
A young man with a shining golden mane of curly hair strode out to help the children off the train. To Dan's surprise the young man looked to be only about sixteen years old. He grinned as the first year Binderhaveners got off the train.  
  
"Hello, welcome to Binderhaven. Come on up to the school, we've got to take you up to Hogwarts first of course, all the kids at Binderhaven get sorted into the Binderhaven houses by the sorting hat. Dan gulped hoping fervently that he would be lucky enough to be sorted into Wolfpaw. It was a long walk up to the enormous castle that was Hogwarts and Dan glanced around nervously looking at the famous building. They were led into a room filled with other children at four tables. Dan was in the middle of the line and he waited until he heard, "Potter, Daniel." He ran up to the hat and pulled it down over his ears. A tiny voice popped up into his head, "Ah, so you're Harry's son are you. I had some good conversation with that father of yours. Now.let me see, you want Wolfpaw do you, why not Ferretin? You'd do well. But I suppose you aren't very well suited." But evidently the hat heard his thoughts, "Ah, you're determined to by in Wolfpaw are you, much like your father. Well, I suppose it'll do you good.Wolfpaw!" Dan looked about in surprise as he lifted the hat off his head and then went and stood with the other Wolfpaws. Dan was happy and became even happier when Franz and Olly were sorted into Wolfpaw also.  
  
A tall boy looked down at the ten first-year Wolfpaws, "I'm Kyle Ophelius, head boy of Binderhaven. Come on, I have to show you to your dorms." The ten boys and girls slowly walked behind the Kyle as he led them through the winding staircases. He stopped in front of a statue of a wolf and whispered, "Bite", the wolf's mouth slowly widened enough for them to slide down it's tongue and deep into it's throat, the slide sent them whooshing straight into the middle of the Wolfpaw Commonroom, anyone could tell at a glance that it was the Wolfpaw common room, all over it was decorated in blue and gold, house colors.  
  
Kyle pointed to two wolf portraits in the corners, "Those are your dorms, run along now, hurry, I have to take you back down to the feast." The five new Wolfpaw boys ran up to their door and whispered "howl" like Kyle had told them to, immediately the pictures swung open to reveal a room with five beds. Franz and Dan slung their stuff onto some beds and ran out again, anxious to eat.  
  
The ten new first years arrived at a run behind Kyle, bursting into the Dining Room. It was beautiful, each side covered with one house's colors and the ceiling looked like no ceiling Dan had ever seen. It was like a dark sky with stars but there were ribbons of color floating around. Dan whistled in amazement and sat down next to Olly and Franz. He looked down at his empty plate and then across the long bare table and waited for some food to appear. At the staff table Professor Lupin stood up.  
  
"Welcome everyone to Binderhaven. The caretaker Garu Hutch has asked me to inform all of you that he will not allow any more dead lizards in the kitchens." A few students tittered and Lupin continued. "When I was at Hogwarts Dumbledore taught me to keep the wait short, so I have but a few words to say to you. Cavorting Pillows!" Dan looked at Lupin and noticed a few other first years eyeing the headmaster strangely. But he didn't have much time because the empty plates in front of him were filling with food. He dug into the food immediately, commenting, "Errmph.thith ith weal good, mnumnum." Olly looked at him and then nodded, "Try some of the pie it's scrumptious." Dan did and before long he was stuffed. "Uuuuhhh, I couldn't eat another bite." Olly grinned at her cousin, "If you hadn't eaten four pies all by yourself you wouldn't be so stuffed." Dan glared at her and contemplated throwing the pie he had hidden in his pocket at her but decided against it, it might be wanted later.  
  
The three companions bid each other goodnight and headed off to their dormitories. Dan sleepily took off his clothes and collapsed into his bed.  
  
"Wake up! Come on!" Dan was shaken groggily awak by Franz who was standing over him. The other three boys in the dorm slowly rolled out of their beds and started to get ready for the day. "I'm Patrick Finnigan." A blonde haired boy announced. "Pleased to meet ya, I'm Dan Potter." The three boys looked to Dan's forehead and he shook his head, "No, I didn't inherit a scar from my dad." He grinned. He was used to that automatic glance. "My friend here is Franz Dumbledore. Who are you two?" Dan posed the question to the two boys who hadn't identified themselves yet "I'm Thomas Wood." Announced one of the boys.  
  
"My names, Jackson Lane." The last boy said. The boys all headed down to breakfast together. They ate breakfast as fast as they could bolt the food down, eager to see what their classes would be like.  
  
Their schedules were in front of their plates and Dan glanced eagerly at his. First on the schedule was Potions with Professor Malfoy. And just what he needed, they had potions with Ferretin. Dan groaned.  
  
The Potions teacher had hated his father and he was certain that unless he did something drastic everything would go wrong. 


End file.
